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Energy Minister promises to end fuel crisis by 17th

09 Mar 2022

  • Dullas notes that Lokuge’s promise made despite uncertainty of when power supply would be fully restored
  • Pavithra presents report to Cabinet on how to resolve crisis
  • 2 diesel ships unloaded at Port and another on the way
  Cabinet Spokesman Dullas Alahapperuma said yesterday (8) that Energy Minister Gamini Lokuge had promised the Cabinet of Ministers this week that the ongoing fuel crisis will be resolved by 17 March. “On behalf of the Cabinet, I express my most sincere disappointment to the public, who are heavily inconvenienced by the fuel shortages and the power outages. I understand the crises at the moment. There is no certainty of when exactly electricity will be properly supplied to the public again but Lokuge promised the Cabinet this week that the fuel crisis will be resolved by 17 March,” said Alahapperuma, while addressing the weekly press briefing to announce cabinet decisions, which was held yesterday. Furthermore, he said that Power Minister Pavithra Wanniarachchi had presented a report to the Cabinet this week on how to resolve the ongoing power crisis. “A total of 30% of fuel in the country is used for the generation of electricity. As an immediate solution, we have decided to reactivate the power plants in Matara, Embilipitiya, and Sapugaskanda which run on furnace oil by providing them with furnace oil,” said Alahapperuma. With rapidly declining water reserves for the generation of hydro power (as Sri Lanka is experiencing a drought season) and a severe fuel shortage hindering the powering of thermal power stations, the Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) has been imposing nearly eight hour-long power cuts over the past couple of weeks. In February, then Energy Minister Udaya Gammanpila admitted in Parliament that the ongoing US dollar crisis has led to a challenging situation with regard to fuel imports. Public dissatisfaction and criticisms have been seen in the form of various protests over the past couple of weeks, with citizens heavily inconvenienced by the lengthy power outages. This week, Finance Minister Basil Rajapaksa has instructed the local government (LG) authorities to conserve electricity in street lamps as a measure to save electricity. In a statement issued yesterday, the Power Ministry said that Wanniarachchi has directed the relevant officials to establish a control room in order to ensure that electricity is continuously supplied to essential places and services such as hospitals, security points, and free trade zones. Meanwhile, the fuel shortage has severely affected the public with long queues seen at fuel stations, especially with regard to diesel. Multiple sectors are suffering with the shortage of diesel, including the fisheries and agriculture sectors. Energy Ministry Secretary K.D.R. Olga has told the media yesterday that two diesel ships were unloaded at the Colombo Port yesterday with another one on the way. A shipment of furnace oil was also unloaded yesterday.


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